


The Sander's Zoo

by Water9826



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxious Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bird Logic | Logan Sanders, Caring Logic | Logan Sanders, Cat Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Chaotic Good, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders is Extra, Dog Morality | Patton Sanders, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fox Roman, Hedgehog Remy, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Sweetheart, Platonic Relationships, Rabbit Emile, Rat Remus Sanders, Snake Deceit | Janus Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, Talking Animals, The Author Regrets Nothing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 16:55:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24450193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Water9826/pseuds/Water9826
Summary: Thomas Sanders never expected to have a dog. He also didn't think he'll have a bird.Now, he doesn't just have a dog and bird, he has a cat, hedgehog, rabbit, rat, fox, and a cobra that won't leave.Just another day in Florida.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil & Creativity | Roman & Deceit & Logic | Logan & Morality | Patton & Thomas Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil & Creativity | Roman & Logic | Logan & Morality | Patton & Thomas Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders
Comments: 25
Kudos: 134





	1. The Start of a Zoo

**Author's Note:**

> First and foremost, this is inspired by One Zoony Disaster by TheFoxofFiction! They have such an incredible fic that I think was discontinued in 2018. Please go and check it out! 
> 
> I wanted to have my own Animal Sander Sides! If any of you have read my other Sander Sides Fic, fluff is nonexistent. 
> 
> This is really self indulgent as my school year has finally ended. There's not really any plot. It'll probably be one shots. Feel free to give me requests! 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> PLEASE READ: The house Thomas has in this fic is pretty big and not at all like his apartment! Thank you!

It was just a regular night in Florida. Thomas was relaxing in his pool. For once, the weather was nice. 

He sighed in contentment. His brief moment of peace was broken by a loud yowl. 

"What in the world?" Thomas got out and went to inspect the noise. His house was more rural and was built near a forest. Sounds at night weren't that new. However, this sounded like a dog. 

The YouTuber put a shirt over his swimming trunks and went to investigate. It was coming from the trees. 

His heart twisted in his chest when he heard a whimper. It was definitely a dog. With the phone on his flashlight, Thomas got closer. 

He looked around, only to see nothing. Then he heard a squawk and looked down. It was a parrot?

“Hi there, little guy!” 

“Salutations.” The bird croaked. It’s feathers were black on the top. However, it had a dark blue under belly. As the parrot flapped its wings, Thomas noticed the feathers underneath were also blue. 

He was surprised that the parrot responded. Though, it was a parrot.

A whine was heard underneath the parrot, it shifted around and a puppy looked up at Thomas. The bird was roosting over the pup to keep them warm.

“Wow. You’re an interesting parrot-” 

“Macaw. Logan.” The bird got off of the puppy and began to preen it. 

Thomas took a bit to process what he’d just heard. Somehow, this bird knew what species he was and his name. He must belong to someone, right?

“You’re name is Logan?” A nod. “Ok. Cool. Awesome. Uh, can I see that puppy?”

Logan let Thomas look over the squirming puppy. It was born a few hours ago at most. He had found it on the street. 

“I’ll take care of him for now. Poor puppy. You can come with me, or do you have an owner?” 

“Satisfactory.” Logan flew onto Thomas’s shoulder. He watched over the puppy protectively.

.

.

.

For the next few months, Thomas would care for Logan and Patton, the puppy he had found in the woods. It turned out that Patton was a Golden Doodle that was too sweet to give away.

Logan refused to leave when Thomas offered. He decided to adopt both animals. 

Now, he was sitting on the couch with the two. Patton was asleep next to him and Logan was resting on the wooden perch Thomas had gotten him. 

He was watching Rapunzel for the millionth time. Thomas sang along to each song. In the middle of the movie, he saw that Logan was shifting around a lot. This was his sign that he was craving a certain jelly. 

“Hey, Logan?”

Said bird gave a questioning caw. 

“Want some Crofters?” 

“Crofters! The only jelly I’ll put in my belly!” Logan flapped his wings in excitement. He flew over to the cupboard where the spices, condiments, and most importantly jams were kept. “Crofters! Crofters! Crofters!” 

The loud squawking awoke Patton. He gave a small yawn and wagged his tail.

“ _What’s happening, Lo?_ ”

“ _Our human is giving us Crofters!_ ”

Thomas couldn’t understand what the two pets were saying, so he just heard barks and croons. 

He saw how excited Logan was and decided to take out his phone. 

“Logan! Are you excited?”

“Yes! Give Crofters!”

“Are you sure?”

“Indubitably!”

“No, I don’t think so. You hate jam.”

“FALSEHOOD!” 

Thomas giggled behind the camera. He finally gave Logan a tiny cup of Crofters. It used to be a watering dish for the bird, but Logan never used it. 

The bird flew on the counter and devoured the jam in only a few seconds. 

“More?”

“No, buddy. No more.”

The video ended with Logan shrieking and Patton howling in response. 

After Logan’s tantrum subsided, Thomas returned to his sofa. Logan decided to join them on the couch. He began to preen himself and then Patton. The puppy licked Logan’s beak. 

Right when Rapunzel began to sing the Healing Incantation to fix Flynn Rider’s hand, Thomas heard a pawing at the door. He paused and got up.

Patton wagged his tail at the new smell. On the other hand, Logan landed on the puppy and shielded him with his wings. He could tell something was up and he didn’t want Patton anywhere near it.

A weird yowl and whine startled Thomas. It definitely wasn’t a person. He carefully opened the door and a cloud of white burst in. 

“Shit!” Thomas yelped. He saw the cloud run around for a bit before landing on the carpet. 

It was a fox. 

Logan puffed up at the intruder. He gave a low croon, a warning.

The white fox got up and went to sniff the bird. He seemed to walk strangely. His two back legs were limping, making it seem like the fox was jumping.

“He probably got run over by a car.” Thomas carefully got closer to the fox, he didn’t want to startled it. “Poor guy.”

He got close enough that he was in petting reach. The fox sniffed Thomas before immediately going into his arms. There were a few chitters of excitement as the fox bathed in the attention. 

“Logan, you can stop puffing up. It’s Patton’s job to be a soft little puff ball.” Thomas put a hand through the fox’s fur. It was covered in fleas and ticks. “On second thought, I’ll take him to the vet.”

.

.

.

Both of the fox’s legs were broken. He had to have surgery to fix them both. It left him in a cone and two big cast for months. 

The fox yowled and screamed the entire time. He was a very dramatic fox and would only calm down if you played him Disney.

Thomas decided to call him Roman. It really fit for him. He was a regal and loved to watch romance movies with him. 

When it was time to bring Roman home, the fox yowled in distress. He hated being in the crate and made sure his protest was heard. All of the paperwork had been done, so Roman was officially his. They had tried to see if Roman could be released into the wild but the fox refused to leave. He was too domesticated. 

“Roman! I know you don’t like the crate! It’s only for a little bit. You’ll be out when we get home.” 

Another scream. 

Thomas put on some Disney music to help calm Roman. It only resulted in the fox screaming along to the songs.

It was going to be a long ride.   
  


* * *

“ _Greetings everyone! Your prince has returned!_ ” Roman strutted into the house. When he got no response he tried to be louder. “ _Hello_!”

Suddenly, a ball of brown fluff ran into him. It was Patton. He only knew the dog’s name and that was it.

“ _Roman! You’re back!_ ” Patton had grown quite a bit in the past few months. He began to lick Roman all over. The fox’s immaculate fur was now ruined. 

“ _Salutations, fox._ ” Logan landed on Patton’s back. He was big enough that the bird could use him as a fluffy perch. “ _What are you doing here?_ ”

“ _Excuse you, I live here!_ ”

“ _But you’re a wild animal._ ”

Roman growled at him. “ _I am not some feral creature! I was bred from a family of award winning foxes!_ ” 

The macaw looked at him, unimpressed.

“ _It’s not my fault my previous humans got too old! They released us back to the wild. It was terrible!_ ” Roman sighed dramatically. “ _Like it or not, bird brain, I am staying!_ ” 

Logan nodded. “ _Very well....Roman._ ” 

.

.

.

In the distance, a snake saw a familiar fox enter the house he lived by. 

“ _Dee! Prissy Ass moved in!_ ” Remus, a black rat, whispered. He had a few spots of white along his fur. Around his face, it looked like he had a mustache of white fur. “ _Maybe we can get back at him and Old Loggie!_ ”

“ _Perhapssss._ ” The serpent hissed. He was a yellow king cobra that had been a failed pet when the owners realized he was venomous. His venom glands had been removed. The surgery was cruel and painful. The owners had decided to release him in an abandoned field right after. Even today, Deceit couldn’t eat properly or at all.

Remus knew that his long time friend was in bad shape. He was getting thinner by each passing day. 

A tiny mewl came from the black ball Deceit was coiled around. It was a kitten they found on the roadside. 

Originally, Remus wanted Deceit to eat it. The king cobra was certainly big enough to eat something like that. However, things didn’t go as planned. 

Eating was an excruciating process for Deceit. His venom gland removal was the cause. The surgery wasn’t done well either. He couldn’t bring himself to eat the tiny kitten. 

“ _We shall raisssse him. He’ll be one of ussss._ ” Deceit flicked his tongue at the kitten. He sneezed. One green and one purple eye stared at the snake. “ _I like Virgil. Yesssss. Virgil._ ”

The rat crawled on Deceit to inspect the kitten. It was a bit thin, so Remus shared his piece of hotdog he’d found. A small portion was given to Deceit. It was tiny enough that the snake could swallow without much pain.

No one else would leave them. 

.

.

.

Three years later, Virgil was fully grown. He was a chantilly-tiffany cat. However, he acted more like a rat and snake. He stuck out his tongue, squeaked, rattled his tail, stood on his hind legs, and even chattered his teeth. 

The house next to the forest was where they primarily got food. It was harder than even with the three guards. A bird, a dog, and a fox. Roman was the main protector, constantly going out to make sure no one was in his territory. 

Fortunately, the human living there was very generous. One meow, and Virgil would be give chicken, steak, hotdogs, or fish. He never stayed long. 

Virgil would collect whatever food he had and brought it to Deceit. His mentor was getting worse and worse. He was developing a respiratory infection, pneumonia. Though, Virgil wouldn’t know that at the time.

This time, however, it seemed that he was being followed. 

The cat tensed as he heard a twig snap. He turned around to see if anyone was behind him. When he turned back, a familiar fox was in his face.

“ _What are you doing in my kingdom?!_ ”

“ _Your kingdom? Last I checked, you’re not some kind of prince._ ”

“ _I have seen you, time and time again, steal food from my human! That is unacceptable._ ”

Virgil and Roman circled each other. Both of them had their fur raised. 

“ _Your human gave me the food, Princey. I didn’t steal anything._ ”

The white fox snarled. “ _Who are you with. I can smell them on you._ ”

“ _You should already know then._ ”

“ _So you’re with the rat and snake?_ ”

“ _Yeah, I am. And they need me right now._ ” 

“ _Is that so? You smell very sick. Shouldn’t you be relying on them?_ ” 

Virgil tensed. He was told not to tell anyone of Deceit’s condition. It could make them seem more vulnerable and weak.

“ _It’s not mine._ ”

“ _Deceit’s smell I take it? Remus only smells of manure and rotting flesh. I think he has an infection._ ”

“ _What do you know._ ” Virgil growled.

“ _He’s dying, isn’t he?_ ” This time, Roman’s voice was softer. The fox had met the snake years ago. Deceit had a problem with eating ever sense his venom glands were surgically removed. 

When Roman saw the young cat’s face fall, he knew it was true. 

“ _My human saved me. I was run over by a car and my back legs were both broken. Maybe you can join us instead of steal_.”

“ _Fuck off._ ”

Roman relented. He had a stare off with Virgil before walking away. Thomas had started calling for him to come inside.

“ _Think of my offer._ ”

“ _Sure thing, Princey_.”

Virgil retrieved his piece of chicken and left. He went deeper and deeper into the forest until his den appeared.

“ _Thank fuck you’re here. Double Dee is not doing too good._ ” Remus was frantic. “ _He’s stopped moving. I don’t know what to do_.” 

The cat tried not to panic. He ran into the den where Deceit slept. Virgil’s nose was attacked by the potent smell of infection. 

Gently, Virgil dropped the piece of chicken next to Deceit’s mouth. No response. It was hard to tell if he was asleep or not because he lacked eyelids.

“ _Deceit? I brought you some food. You haven’t eaten for two weeks._ ” 

The cobra couldn’t raise his head. He struggled to look at Virgil. 

“ _I can’t eat. It’ssss time._ ”

“ _What? No, hell no, you’re not going anywhere!_ ” 

“ _I’m in pain, Virgil. My body achessss._ ” Deceit saw that Remus had entered. His long time friend was terrified. “ _Remusss,  
it’sssss not like you to be ssssso worried about a ssssnake like me._”

The rat crawled next to Virgil. “ _He’s been suffering from the moment I met him._ ” His voice was shaky.

Deceit tickled Virgil’s nose with his tongue. The cat sneezed. It was a familiar gesture the snake had done many times. 

“ _It will be alright._ ” The serpent calmly said.

“ _No! You can’t go!_ ”

“ _Virgil-_ ”

The cat ran out. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him. Roman. Roman told him his human healed him. 

It was his only choice.

Virgil saw the house. It was lit up still. He steeled himself and went to the backyard door. 

He extracted his claws and scratched the glass. Virgil began to yowl as loud as he could.

A large dog and tired human stared at him. 

“ _What’s wrong, kiddo?_ ”

“ _I need your help. Please._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! This was super fun to write! 
> 
> And, yes, I do take requests! Any future chapters you want to see, feel free to tell me! I love hearing from my commenters <3
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. A Snake’s Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decisions are never easy. It’s always about doing this or that.
> 
> In this case, it’s the decision that’ll save or cost a life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re already at 100 hits! That’s amazing! Thank you so much! 
> 
> The fluff continues! 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> WARNING:  
> Mention of Euthanizing

Virgil lead Patton and Thomas through the forest. The bird and fox followed him.

“ _Kiddo, what happened?_ ” 

“ _My mentor is sick. Really sick. Princey told me that your human can help._ ” The cat gave a glance at the white fox. He seemed to smile at Virgil.

“ _Is your mentor that King Cobra?_ ” Logan asked. He was perched on Patton again. “ _He’s got quite the reputation._ ”

This irked Virgil. “ _Yeah, he does. What of it? Look, I just need your help. That’s it. I’m not becoming some pet_.” 

Thomas noticed that the cat stopped in from of a clearing. There was a large den in front of him. 

“Is this-FUCK IT’S A RAT! ROMAN!” Thomas screeched when a large black rat appeared from the den. However, Roman didn’t do anything. He usually would take care of any spiders that can into his house. A rat shouldn’t be that different.

Roman yipped at him. The fox leaned against his leg, knowing his owner was scared.

“Hurt. Animal. Go in.” Logan squawked. He landed on his shoulder. 

“Is it this rat?”

Virgil ran up to him and shook his head. A soft meow encouraged the human. 

Thomas steeled himself and poked his head inside. Immediately, he screamed again. It was a cobra. The man scrambled away. 

Another meow scolded him. 

“It’s a snake! I’ll be bitten and I’m pretty sure it’s venomous!” 

“Not venomous.” A beak poked him. Logan ruffled his feathers and pointed at the den. “Safe.”

He tried again, knowing he wouldn’t die this time. Thomas got a good look at the cobra. It looked really sick. 

His heart twisted at the sight. 

When Thomas first found Patton and Logan, the bird was incredibly thin and antsy. Patton got very sick from being exposed to the elements at such a young age. He almost died. 

Carefully, Thomas reached for the snake. No fight came from it. Not even a hiss. The only sign of life was its weak tongue flicks. 

“ _So you just think you can waltz in hear and take Deceit!_ ” Remus growled at Virgil. 

“ _He’s gonna help! I promise! We won’t have to see them ever again._ ” 

Roman glared at Remus. “ _Do not try anything. Thomas is incredibly kind to all of us. You will not hurt him, understand?_ ”

“ _Fuck you._ ”

“ _I see where you get your attitude from, Dark and Stormy._ ” Roman smirked at Virgil. 

Thomas carried a sick Deceit out of the forest with his animals and two additions following him. 

He wouldn’t know that he would be having three more pets. 

.

.

.

It turned out that Deceit had a severe respiratory infection, was extremely undernourished, and had developed an infection where his venom glands were supposed to be. When Thomas learned about the snake’s lack of glands, he was disgusted.

Deceit was a King Cobra, which were meant to be venomous. Whoever owned him previously had purposely removed the glands. The surgery never healed properly, so he got an infection.

The poor snake was on so many medications. Thomas couldn’t take him back to the wild because Deceit had special needs. His infection was so bad that he couldn’t eat properly. It would take months to bring back the weight. 

Thomas was told that Deceit should be put down. The infection from the poorly done surgery was very old. It had permanently damaged the snake’s throat. Even if Deceit was fully healed, he couldn’t eat anything bigger than a mouse without tremendous pain. 

King Cobras were giant and needed to eat large meals. Said meals were supposed to be other snakes. The vet informed him how difficult it would be to give Deceit a good life.

Today was the final day to decide to go on with the treatment or put Deceit down. Thomas wasn’t ready. 

He let Virgil and Remus stay in his house while Deceit recovered. Logan helped Thomas know what their names were. 

In a carrier, Thomas had Virgil and Remus. The cat was terrified and wanted to be let out. It took over an hour, the time it took to get to the vet’s office, for Virgil to calm down. Remus wasn’t pleased either and tried to chew on the metal bars. 

“Hey, Thomas! I see you brought the rascals.” Valerie smiled at him. She was the owner of the office and the head vet. “Let me show you where the big noodle is.” 

Because this was such a unique case, Valerie took it upon herself to treat the snake personally. 

They did take care of snakes, but a king cobra as a patient was a first. Deceit was put in a spare room. He had a large box filled with warm blankets. There was a water bowl and extra lights to keep him warm. 

“This is actually an examining room. He’s too big for any of the crates or even kennels. We measured him and he’s eighteen feet long! He’s just under twenty pounds. Male King Cobras should be over forty.” 

Thomas sat down with the carrier and looked at Deceit. He was still very lethargic. However, the snake poked his head out of the box to glance at Thomas. 

“He hasn’t gained any weight and we’ve had him for a few weeks. His respiratory infection hasn’t gone away.” Valerie pointed at the bubbles and foam in Deceit’s mouth. “I honestly don’t know how he’s still alive.”

There was a quiet mewl from the crate Thomas carried. It was Virgil. A tiny black paw appeared.

Immediately, Deceit perked up. His tongue flicks were quicker. He managed to slither over. After a few inches, the cobra stopped out of exhaustion. Wheezes escaped from him. 

“I think I know why. Mind if I open this up?” Thomas asked Valerie. She nodded. 

Two blurs of black fluff ran out. 

Remus climbed all over Deceit until he reached his head. The rat actually nuzzled the snake. Next to him, Virgil curled beside Deceit, purring loudly. 

“Those two really care about him. Virgil came to my door in the middle of the night. He’s a stray and never let me get near him before. Thanks to him, I was able to get the noodle the help he needs.”

“That kitty acted fast. One more day and he would be dead.” 

Thomas and Valerie smiled at the scene in front of them. He made his decision.

“I don’t want him to go. This snake clearly has a desire to live. I think he’ll make it.” 

“You got it!” She paused. “Do you actually have a name for him?” 

“Nope. I mean, Logan called him Deceit a couple times, but that’s no name for an animal. He did throw quite the hissy fit when I drove him here even though he’s normally such a calm snake. Maybe Janus? Like the Greek myth!” 

“Sounds awesome! I finally have a name to call him instead of ‘Noodle’!” 

As Valerie and Thomas continued to talk on future care for Janus, said snake was cuddled around Remus and Virgil. 

“ _Did you hear what they said, Dee! You’re gonna live!_ ” Remus squeaked in excitement. He was filled with relief. “ _Thank fuck for that! I couldn’t live with Pussy the Pussy over there!_ ” 

Deceit flicked his tongue at Remus. “ _You actually ssssmell nice. Not like pissss._ ”

There was a chuckle from Virgil. “ _The human bathed both of us. It was actually pretty relaxing. Remus hated it though. He had to get held down by Logan and Patton!_ ” 

“ _Who issss Patton?_ ”

“ _Just a dog. He’s really nice!_ ” 

“ _Don’t get too attached, Virge. We’re out of here once Dee is fully recovered._ ” Remus said. He glanced at his long time friend. “ _Right, snakey?_ ”

“ _Perhapssss. I have never been thisssss comfortable in my life._ ” It was true. The humans kept him warm and safe. Whatever meals they gave him were liquified, so Deceit didn’t feel much pain. 

Remus stared at him. “ _Are you kidding? We can’t live with humans!_ ”

“ _Do not worry Remussss. We will disssscusssss thisssss later. I am very tired._ ” 

The rat relented. He was still concerned for his friend. Fighting with him wouldn’t help at all. 

Virgil buffed his head against Deceit’s before getting off of him. The snake preceded to curl up in his box again. 

“Looks like Janus is going to sleep. The poor guy needs the rest.” Valerie helped Thomas get both animals in the carrier again. She got Virgil while he got Remus.

The cat was very scared and ran away from her whenever she got too close. At one point, he tried to hide in Deceit’s box. Said snake was too tired to care.

Remus scurried around and bit Thomas a few times. Eventually, he caught the rat after half an hour.

“Thanks for everything, Valerie!”

“Don’t mention it! I’ll call you tomorrow to update you on the noodle’s condition!”

He left with a smile and two very grouchy pets.

.

.

.

Janus was away for three months. He still wasn’t fully recovered by any means, but the snake was able to go home.

He was a weird case. All of the animal rehabilitation centers Thomas called said they were too full or couldn’t accept a cobra. Most hung up the moment he mentioned the word ‘King Cobra’.

Thomas was given a vigorous schedule of things to do with Janus. It was made up of his many medications, food intake, and even physical therapy.

“Alright, Janus, time to go home. Well, temporary home. You’re not native to Florida and your natural diet is made up of other snakes. Though, I think your life hasn’t been natural at all, hasn’t it?” 

Janus was in a large plastic tub. There was no lid, but the snake preferred to stay inside. He lifted his head up and seemed to nod. Along with that, the snake had really warmed up to his new name.

“I was told that if you do get better, I shouldn’t rerelease you. Florida is already filled with nonnative specifies. So, I think you’ll be a part of the family. I know it’s scary.”

The snake flicked his tongue out at Thomas. He seemed to want more information.

“My house has a big backyard for you to slither around, and I’ll buy a tiny pool for you to soak in! I promise it’ll be okay. You’re close with Virgil and Remus, so I really don’t have a choice to adopt them as well. They’re really fitting in. The other day, Virgil and Remus were curled up against Patton. Roman and Logan joined later on. It was a big cuddle pile!” 

“ _Thank you, Thomassss._ ” Janus was very grateful for this human. He owed him a lot. Without him, he would be dead. His words came out as a soft hiss. 

Thomas could tell it was the snake’s way of thanking him. 

When his house pulled into view, Thomas smiled. “Alright, bud! We’re here!” 

Janus had gained ten pounds when he was at the vet. It made it a lot harder to carry the snake into the house.

The door opened, and Thomas and Janus looked on in confusion or maybe it was horror. 

Roman and Virgil were play-fighting and had just knocked over a lamp in their haste. The fox was screaming and laughing with glee as he chased the cat.

In the kitchen, Logan and Remus worked together to open up the cupboard where the jams were kept. The macaw tipped it over the edge with Remus’s help. It caused the jar to crash onto the ground. Both of them immediately went to lap up at the delicious jelly. Logan was screaming the slogan for Crofters over and over again. 

In the midst of the chaos, Patton was waiting right in front of the door with a happy face. He wagged his tail as Thomas entered with Janus in tow. 

He placed the tub onto the ground and put his hands on his hips. “GUYS!” 

Everyone froze. 

Thomas looked at them. Virgil and Roman sputtered to a stop. They were going so fast that they landed on each other. The cat and fox yowled in distress.

“Logan! You’re supposed to keep order!”

“Apologies, Thomas.” The bird crooned. He flew onto his owner’s shoulder and began to preen his hair. 

“Usually, I’d be pretty upset. But guess who came back from the vet!” 

At that, Virgil and Remus ran over to see Janus. The cobra seemed happy to be reunited with them.

Patton wagged his tail hard and licked the snake. He barked at Janus.

“ _It’s great that you’re back, kiddo!_ ”

“ _I am older than you._ ” Deceit rolled his eyes. He wasn’t as mad as he thought he would be. It must have been because the fluffy dog seemed to radiate heat.

Thomas rubbed Patton’s head. “Now, try not to lick him. Janus is still recuperating. He’ll need his space.”

Remus tilted his head. “ _Janus? What’s that all about?_ ”

“ _It’sssss my new name apparently._ ”

“ _Sounds like an asshole’s name. It fits you perfectly._ ”

“ _Glad to sssseee your usual attitude, Remussss._ ” Janus smirked. “ _It wassss sssso ssssstrange ssssseeing you ssssso worried._ ”

The rat shrugged. “ _You were in pretty bad shape, Dee. I’m not that heartless._ ”

“ _I am sssssurprisssed you’re not angry._ ”

“ _As much as I hate to admit it, I like it here. There’s hella good food, and the Nerd Bird knows where to get the best snacks. We even ordered pizza a couple times while Thomas was asleep._ ”

Logan flew down. He hopped on the floor. “ _It is true. The delivery man was quite confused._ ” 

“ _How isssss thissss new life, Logan?_ ”

The macaw looked at Janus. “ _It is, for lack of a better term, amazing. However, I know I must apologize for my actions towards you. When I was still on the streets, it was you who protected me. I took that for granted._ ” Logan was sincere. He never said a word to Deceit or Remus. The bird just left. No goodbye. Nothing.

“ _It’sssss in the passssst._ ” Janus lifted his body from the bin and slithered onto the ground. He bonked his head against Logan’s beak. “ _No usssse in being pissssed._ ”

“ _That is satisfactory to hear._ ”

“I made you a cave since I read that snakes like to hide.” Thomas led Janus to the room underneath his stairs. It was extremely hot inside. A large dog bed with blankets was in the corner. There were several logs for Janus to climb on or into. He bought another dog bowl that would be for Janus. It was really a place for him to feel safe in and rest.

“Obviously, this isn’t where you’ll be living. You can explore all you want outside. I’ve added some extra rocks and logs for you. It’s just a place to sleep in. I know that the others can be a lot.” Thomas sent a pointed look at Roman.

“What do you think?” Thomas knelt down and gave Janus a gentle pat. 

The snake flicked his tongue against Thomas’s nose. That was his universal sign of affection.

As Janus slithered into his new cave, curling up in the soft bed, he could have cried. There was no pain for once. The cobra could breathe again. His body still wasn’t healed, but it was such a drastic improvement from before.

He fell asleep, smiling.

.

.

.

It had been a few days since Janus returned. The snake absolutely adored his cave and spent most of his time there. Of course, Thomas left the door open, so the cobra could leave when he wanted.

Thomas had a doggy door built in for Patton. However, everyone used it. Even Janus would slither in and out. 

He felt a purring cat curl up next to him. Virgil was slowly but surely coming out of his shell. Thomas gently placed his hand on Virgil and stroked him. Like usual, the cat flinched. However, Thomas quickly found Virgil’s favorite scratching spot. 

Another fluffy body pushed against Thomas. Roman demanded attention and pushed himself into his other hand. He chuckled and gladly lavished the fox in pets.

With both hands full, Patton gave a whine. He also wanted to be pet. There was the familiar flapping of feathers. Logan landed on him and started to preen the dog. Patton wagged his tail again. 

Janus was in his cave asleep. However, he had let Remus curl up next to him. They slept soundly. 

When Thomas heard his phone ring, he momentarily stopped petting Roman. Just before the fox began screaming, he put it on speaker. Thomas resumed his attention back to Roman.

“Sup Thomas!”

“Hey, Joan! What made you call my humble abode?”

His best friend laughed. “Thomas your house is a fucking zoo.”

“That’s.....true....”

“Exactly. Anyways, Talyn and I found some new additions!”

“Joan I already have six pets. One of which is a king cobra with a lot of health problems.”

“I know, I know. We found them yesterday. One’s a cute rabbit and the other is this really sassy hedgehog. We’re going to be fostering them until we can find them a good home.”

Thomas sighed. “Is that home mine?”

“Maybe. Look, I’ll send some pictures, okay? You should definitely think about it!” 

“Alright, I will! I have to go Joan, Roman is going to start screeching if I don’t give him my full attention.”

“Got it. See you later, zookeeper!”

The call ended, and Joan sent him two pictures. They sent a happy face along with them. 

“We might have eight animals, Logan.”

“You are a big bumbling couch potato man.” The macaw squawked at him. 

“Thanks, Lo.”

“Cotton-headed Ninny Muggins!” 

“That is enough out of you, macaw!”

“FALSHOOD!”

Just another day in the Sander’s house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Janus will be okay! He’s on the long, long road to recovery! 
> 
> I do take requests! This series really is just one shots of the animal sides. I always love hearing from you!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	3. Time for a Pool Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas throws the gang a pool party.
> 
> And he maybe sorta adopts Remy and Emile at the end-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry for the long wait! I got a bit of a writer’s block but it wasn’t too severe. Also, I’m working on another Sander Sides Fic at the same time. 
> 
> Thank you so much for your comments and kudos! We have over 300 hits! It means a lot <3
> 
> Enjoy!

“Joan, I don’t know if this will work.” The man looked at his best friend. Throwing some pool party for the animals was full of risks.

They only laughed. “Stop worrying so much! I wouldn’t have bought this huge inflatable pool if I didn’t think it’ll work.” 

Tayln was next to them, holding a large carrier. Inside was a rabbit and a very grumpy hedgehog. “We live in Florida and it’s summer. How could a pool party not be a good idea?” 

He threw his head back and sighed. Thomas took out his keys and unlocked the door. Immediately, Patton jumped all over him. 

“Salutations.” Logan croaked from his perch. He was currently eating a walnut. As the shell pieces littered the floor, Remus scurried around to eat them. 

On the couch, Roman was giving a bath to Virgil. The cat had long excepted his fate. Apparently, Roman was a better cat than he was. 

Patton sniffed the carrier. It smelled like coffee and candy. 

“ _Gurl, can you please get me out!_ ” A black hedgehog screeched. His spikes raised in irritation. This was the one that smelled like coffee. “ _Come on, dog! Don’t make me beg!_ ”

“ _My name’s Patton! What’s yours?_ ” The goldendoodle wagged his tail. 

“ _Remy. Now, get me out of here!_ ” 

“ _What did we say about shouting?_ ” A brown rabbit got closer to the cage. He gave his friend a look. 

The hedgehog seemed to roll his eyes. 

Joan leaned down and opened the door of the crate. Remy bolted out while Emile stayed put. 

He went inside the room under the stairs. In other words, Janus’s cave. Remy stopped when he saw the very large snake looking at him. 

Janus slithered out of his box completely. The cobra was not happy to be disturbed. “ _Hello there_.”

Remy scampered off and ran straight into a white fox. His spikes were puffed out before they flattened at the sight of a pair of green and purple eyes. “ _Is that Virgil?_ ” 

Said cat jumped off the couch. He yawned. “ _Remy? How the hell did you get here?_ ”

“ _One day I was having fun with Emile in Starbucks and the next I was put in some torture box by those humans._ ” He gestured with his nose at Talyn and Joan. “ _Wait. Where’s Emile?_ ”

A firm thump came from the rabbit. It was his way to assure Remy that he was there. The hedgehog had very bad eyesight. 

Logan and Patton were talking to the friendly rabbit. The macaw was perched on the dog’s back like usual. Along with that, Remus and even Janus has joined them.

Thomas looked at his animals. They seemed to be having quite the conversation with each other. He tried to ignore the cheeky look from Joan. 

“So?” They teased.

“Fine. Let’s just set up the pool.” 

.

.

.

It took longer than expected, but they had done it. The pool was really made for kids. However, nothing said it couldn’t be used for animals.

Thomas made sure that the water was heated. Since it was practically boiling outside, it wasn’t that hard. The water that came out of the hose was extremely warm. “Joan, can you open the patio door? It’s ready!”

“You got it, zookeeper!”

The first to run out was Patton. He adored swimming and jumped into the actual pool. Right behind him, Roman did the same.

Logan flew out and landed on his shoulder. “Pool?” He asked, tilting his head.

“Yup. The smaller one is for the newbies. Especially Janus. He needs to rebuild some muscle.” Thomas said. His macaw nodded before flying off again. He’d be overseeing the deeper pool. 

Talyn carried a squirming Remy and calm Emile. They gently placed the two inside another pool they’d brought. It was shallow enough that Remy could stand in it. 

The hedgehog seemed to visibly relax. 

Janus slithered out the door. Thomas called for the cobra and he surprisingly obeyed. He curiously sniffed the yellow pool. It was almost the same color as his scales. 

Next to the snake was Remus. The rat didn't seem very pleased at the sight of water. 

"Come on, Remus. You stink all over from getting into my trash can last night. And the day before that. And just every day really." Thomas crossed his arms. "If you get in, I'll let you have some chicken."

That seemed to do the trick. Remus jumped in and was pleasantly surprised to feel how warm the water was. " _Dee! Get in here! It feels really good!_ " 

" _Of courssssse._ " Janus slithered into the larger kiddie pool. There was a rock on the middle for him to rest on if he didn't want to swim around anymore. " _Thissss issss nice._ "

Thomas smiled at the two. He turned around when he heard a tiny mewl. Virgil was staring at him with big green and purple eyes. "Bud, I think you should go in the bigger pool. Janus took up most of the space. It'll be fun." The man held his arms out and the cat easily jumped into them.

In the other pool, Patton was playing fetch with Logan. The macaw would toss a ping pong ball towards the dog and then try to retrieve it. Logan flapped his wings, enjoying the water. 

Roman got out to greet Thomas. His once fluffy fur was completely soaked. He yowled at the sight of his precious fur. It had looked so much better in the water.

"Don't worry your royal butt off, Ro. Your fur will be fine. I just need you to show Virgil the pool." 

" _Well, Dark and Stormy, are you up for the challenge?_ " Roman growled playfully.

" _I don't know, Princey_." Virgil hopped out of Thomas's arms and onto the grass. He circled the fox. “ _You’re kinda slow._ ”

“ _What?! How dare you-_ ” Roman didn’t get a chance to finish because Virgil pushed him into the pool again. “ _Why you little-Come back here!_ ”   
  
Virgil pranced around the edge. “ _What are you going to do Sir-Sing-A-Lot?_ ” 

“ _Let me think. Oh! I’ll do this!_ ” The fox lunged at Virgil’s scruff and pulled him in. For a second, the cat flailed around in panic before he calmed down. 

“ _We’re even._ ” Virgil said grouchily. He wasn’t upset for long as Patton splashed them with warm water. In his mouth was a very beaten up ping pong ball. 

Logan flew around them, squawking. He tried to grab the small ball to no avail. The dog wasn’t letting up. Patton looked at the other two with a mischievous smile.

Once Patton dropped it, Roman grabbed the ball. He laughed when Logan screeched in frustration. 

They continued this new game for a while. Roman would pass it to Virgil who would give it to Patton. The cycle repeated, and Logan grew more frustrated. 

Not far away, Janus and Remus stared from their own pool. 

“ _What are we gonna do when ya get better, Double Dee?_ ” The rat, despite the nickname, was serious. 

“ _I can breathe again. Thanksss to Thomasss. Everyone is tolerable._ ”

“ _Virgil is happy._ ” Remus noted. “ _Are you?_ ”

Janus flicked his tongue at Remus. “ _Yesss. What about you?_ ” For all the years that he’d known Remus, the cobra knew how much the rat hated staying in one place. 

He shrugged. “ _The human doesn’t keep me in a cage, so there’s not that many complaints from me. Plenty of food. Great trash. What’s not to like?_ ” 

“ _But are you happy, my friend?_ ” 

Remus thought for a bit. While Janus was recovering, he had to stay in Thomas’s house for months. At first, he wanted nothing to do with the others. They’d all left them just to become pets.

However, things smoothed out. Logan would ask Remus to help him with experiments. It involved the macaw testing certain liquids he would mix together and give it to the rat. Other times, he’d try to find what jam flavor was more flammable. That was a fun day.

Patton always made sure to include him in what he called ‘Family Game Night’. They’d play board games, albeit poorly, and watch movies with Thomas. He was always willing to hear Remus’s crazy ideas. 

On the other hand, Roman wasn’t as friendly. He was his brother in a sense. They had come from the same owners, but Remus ran away. Several years would pass before Roman found him. Instead of escaping like he did, Roman was released, more like kicked out. Their relationship was fixed. But it didn’t last long. It would quickly start to deteriorate. 

Then, Roman got ran over by a car and disappeared for days. He and Janus looked everywhere. Until they found him, after months of searching, in a cozy home. The fox just forgot about them. 

He and Remus had a heart to heart. Roman admitted that he messed up and hurt his brother. They spent their first two years together after all. Needless to say, there was a large cuddle pile that day.

Virgil was glued to Remus most of the time. He was so worried, terrified even, if losing Janus. The cat barely slept and was a huge nervous wreck. Remus was horrible with emotions and tried his best to comfort him. It was actually Patton that managed to pull Virgil out of his spiral.

Each passing day got better after that. Remus was part of a family whether he liked it or not.

The rat looked at Janus. “ _Yeah. Yeah I am._ ”   
  


.

.

.

Thomas was regretting everything he’d done today.

All the floors were covered in dirt and water. Joan laughed as Thomas groaned in mock agony. Upstairs, Talyn was drying off Patton, Roman, and Virgil. 

“So what did you think of today? Have you made your decision?” They nodded towards the couch with two sleeping animals cuddling. 

Logan crooned from his perch. He bobbed his head up and down at Joan. His wings were splayed out.

“I think Lo wants them to stay. They got along with everyone here and it seems that Remy knows Virgil. He isn’t that friendly to anyone. My hands still hurt from the time I tried to hold him.” 

He thought long and hard. Eight pets would be such a challenge. Thomas wanted to give them the best home. They got along with everyone and himself even.

Pounding footsteps broke his train of thought. Tayln, disheveled and wet, came running down. They were trying to catch Patton who was somehow even fluffier. 

Virgil and Roman ran out as well. Their fur was also puffed to the max. They looked like a trio of walking cotton balls. 

As Thomas saw the chaos unfold, he smiled. This was his family and Remy and Emile should be a part of it.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please send in requests And prompts for new chapters! Type them in the comments below and I will write each one!
> 
> I’ll try to update as often as I can, but that means the chapters may be shorter. If you guys want more frequent updates but shorter chapters or less often updates with longer chapters, let me know!
> 
> Thank you for reading <3


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